Bygones
by Sasha.Rizzoli
Summary: Sequel to Game of Love and Life. Title is subject to change. It has been 15 years since Elliot and Olivia have seen each other...but something bad happens to Olivia and she returns home to New York. Will Elliot forgive her for being gone so long?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is the first chapter of the sequel. Elliot isn't in this chapter...but please keep reading and reviewing. This will be at least EO friendship. Thanks to Dramawitsvu17 for the names of Olivia's husband and children. In the brackets beside the girls names is how you pronounce their names.Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with the show.**

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Fifteen years had gone by; Olivia still lived in Los Angeles. She was now an SVU detective and married to a man named Julian Lee Thomas. He was African-American, six years older then her and had a son from a previous relationship. A sixteen year old named Damian Christopher. Olivia and her step son were close and she treated him as her own son. Damian even looked up to Olivia.

Olivia and Julian had married in a blissful, romantic beach wedding nine years before and thirty seven weeks later they welcomed identical twin girls in to the family. Alia _(U-lee-ya)_ Nicole was born at 2:56am, weighing five pounds six ounces; Amya _(U-my-ya) _Rose was born at 3:11am and weighed five pounds ten and a half ounces. The girls were identical in almost every way. They had inherited their mother's stubborness and their father's timidness. When Alia and Amya were three years old, Olivia and Julian extended the family again when they welcomed Jordan Taylor; who was now five and a mama's boy.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia and Julian were lying in bed, in each other's warm, naked embrace. Julian was in the Army and was due to leave for a mission in the morning.

Olivia held up her head on her left hand and looked in to her hushand's caramel pools. Her own pools of chocolate brown were sad as she talked to her loving husband. "Jules, I don't want you to go."

Julian wiped away some of his beautiful wife's rebellious tears. "I know, baby. I know." He wrapped his warm, muscly arms around his wife and she rested her head in his chest. Olivia refused to cry but some rebellious tears managed to fall.

Julian thought that his younger beautiful wife had fallen asleep in the safety of his arms but her shaky voice flowed out from his chest but was muffled so he didn't quite understand what she had said.

"What did you say, Liv?"

Olivia gently pulled back and looked in to her husband's caramel orbs again. "Let's make love one more time before you have to go." She rolled on to her back as her husband got on top of her.

He nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you." He whispered as he slid in to her, smoothly. This would be their third love making session for the day. Once that morning and now round two for the night.

"I love you too." Olivia kissed his slender neck as he slowly and passionately thrust in and out of his wife.

This love making session was slow and passionate. It was about contact and love; not just about having a release.

After awhile of kissing and the occasional moan, Olivia felt the familiar feeling in the bottom of her stomach; her climax was coming.

Julian felt his wife's inner walls clench around his shaft. "Let go for me, baby. Let go." He panted in her ear.

"Not until you do." She panted back.

The tall, musclar man reached down in between their sweaty, naked bodies and began to rub his wife's clit, which sent her over the edge. She orgasmed, followed by her older handsome husband.

"Wow." Julian slid out of her and laid down on the bed beside her.

"Yeah, wow." Olivia smiled as she rested her head in her husband's arms once again.

Julian kissed her on the lips. "Let's get some sleep. We have to be up in four hours."

Olivia nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head on her husband's chest.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia woke to her husband gently shaking her awake. "Huh?" Her deep mocha orbs fluttered open to see Julian already dressed in his Army uniform.

"Baby, you slept through the alarm. You need to have a shower." He cooed to his half asleep wife.

Olivia sat up slowly and rubbed her tired eyes. "What about the kids?"

Julian smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "All four of them are just about ready."

"Ok." She sat up and sadly walked in to their ensuite bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Julian was about to walk away when he heard a sob escape from his wife in the bathroom and then the shower being turned on.

He took a slow, deep breath before walking out of the bedroom to check on the children. He knew why Olivia was upset. She was scared that he wouldn't return home. He had to admit that he was scared as well but he needed to go; it was his job.

"Daddy!" One of the twins screeched from the kitchen.

Julian rushed downstairs in to the kitchen to find the girls arguing over the last pancake. "Ok girls, let's sort this out fairly." He grabbed the butter knife and cut it in half. He put half on the younger twin's plate. "Here is your half, Amya." He then put the other half on the older twin's plate. "And that's your half, Alia. Problem solved."

"Thank you, daddy." The girls thanked their father in unison.

"You're welcome, girls. Eat up, we have to leave very soon." He walked in to the living room to find Damian and Jordan watching some early morning cartoon.

"Damian, I asked you to watch the twins as well as Jordan."

Damian shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, dad."

Julian sighed. "It's ok. Get ready to go. I'm going to check on Liv."

He walked in to the master bedroom to see his young, beautiful wife sitting in front of the mirror, trying to hold back her tears of fear. She was dressed in a just above knee length black skirt, a light blue blouse and a pair of black high heels. Her shoulder length brown hair was neatly brushed and left to hang.

Julian walked up to her and took her soft, olive toned hand in his large one. "Come on, baby. We have to go now."

Olivia nodded and let her husband lift her up. He wiped away some more of her rebellious tears, which had fallen against her will. "It will be ok, baby. It will be ok." He tried to reassure her.

Olivia sadly nodded. "I guess we had better go now."

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia pulled the mini van over in front of the meeting place and the family piled out. The place was already swamping with families, saying goodbye and they didn't have much time.

Julian and Damian shared a manly hug and pat on the back. "Take care of the family, son."

"Will do, dad." The teenager replied as they backed away.

Julian then squatted down to say goodbye to the twins.

"Alia. Amya. Be good for Mommy, ok? I love you." He wrapped his arms around the both of them and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

"We love you, daddy." Alia spoke sadly.

"We'll miss you." Amya finished, just as sadly.

"I'll miss you too, girls." Julian hesitated as he pulled away from them before moving on to the youngest of the family. "Be good for Mommy, little man."

"Ok, daddy. I love you." The little boy gave his father a big hug.

"I love you too, buddy." Julian stood up again and wrapped his arms around his wife.

As her husband hugged her tightly, she closed her eyes momentarily. 

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Jules. Please make sure you come home to us." She whispered.

Julian pulled away a bit and his lips crashed with his wife's, beginning a very passionate kiss.

"I'll call you the first moment that I get. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you so much...I'll be waiting for that call, honey."

The couple shared one last quick kiss and pulled away.

"Bye." Julian waved to his family and walked away, sadly.

Once her handsome husband was out of sight, Olivia turned to the children. "Come on, kids. Time to go home."

It was going to be a rough time for the family while they waited for Julian's safe return.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing to do with the show!**

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Thomas residence

November 16th (four nights after Julian left)

9:46pm

"Girls, please go to sleep." Olivia begged for the third time that night.

"We don't want to." Alia stated from under her pink butterflies covers.

"We want Daddy. He reads us a bedtime story." Amya said harshly to her mother.

Olivia was already having a hard time looking after four children without her husband...ok maybe three because Damian can look after himself. She was exhausted from working all day and then coming home to cook dinner and wash clothes.

She threw up her hands in surrender. "I give up, girls. Goodnight."

She was physically and emotionally drained and she missed her husband. She closed the pink painted bedroom door that had the girls' names on it and headed in to her own bedroom, closing the door behind her. Olivia was totally oblivous to the fact that Damian had been watching her, sadly. He knew that his father's absence was already beginning to take it's toll on his step mother. He walked in to his little sisters' bedroom and saw the both of them playing. They were being rebellious since their father wasn't home; the total opposite of Jordan. He was being a little quieter then usual but he offered to help his mother any where he could since he was only five.

"Alia. Amya. Get to bed now and stop giving Mom a hard time." He said firmly, clicking he fingers and pointed to the beds.

Both twins nodded and climbed in to their beds. "Sorry, Damian." They apologized in unison.

Damian shook his head and walked in to the gap inbetween the two beds, making sure to look at both brown haired, deep mocha eyed girls.

"You two should be apologizing to Mom...do it in the morning. Girls, Mom is having a hard time, just like the rest of us but to make it worse for her, she is doing double the work because she had to fill in for dad, you understand?"

The girls both nodded.

"So we need to be good girls?" Amya asked, innocently.

Damian nodded. "Yes, Amya. The two of you need to be good girls. So why don't you go to sleep now?"

"Goodnight." Alia lied down and closed her eyes followed by her younger twin.

"G'night, girls." Damian turned off the bedroom light and closed the door before heading to Olivia's bedroom.

He tapped on the door lightly but got no answer, which was unusual so he quietly opened the door. He found his step mother curled up on Julian's side of the bed, sleeping with her husband's pillow; obviously to inhale his scent that remained. He sighed. He hated to see his step mother like this. Damian quietly turned off the TV which had the volume on low before heading out, quietly closing the door behind him.

He then checked on little Jordan, who was peacefully sleeping; before heading off to bed himself.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia was woken by the disturbing, shrill beeping of her alarm clock. It was six am. She groaned and slammed her hand down on the offending noise to shut it off. She opened her exhausted, deep mocha orbs as she sat up, tiredly before swinging her legs over the side of the large, comfy, king sized bed. She headed in to the bathroom, where she relieved herself and turned the taps on in the shower. She adjusted the temperture just right before stripping and stepping under the pulsing hot spray.

When Olivia finally walked in to the kitchen dressed in black slacks, purple blouse and a pair of black boots with her hair tied up in a ponytail and some light make-up on her face; She found all four children sitting at the table eating quietly. "Morning kids." She greeted them as she walked to the fridge.

"Morning Mommy." Jordan smiled.

"Morning Liv." Damian greeted her. He only mainly called her mom when he spoke to his younger siblings. Olivia was completely fine with it. She'd told him from the beginning that he could call her Liv or Mom.

Damian looked at the twins and raised an eye brow. They knew exactly what he meant.

The girls got up and both wrapped their little arms around their mother. She looked down at them in surprise.

They looked up at her and spoke in unison. "Morning Mommy. We are so sorry."

Olivia put her bottle of water down on the counter before squatting down and wrapped her arms around her mischievous eight year old twins. "I forgive you, girls. Now go get dressed." She smiled and let them go.

They skipped off upstairs in to their bedroom and Olivia looked over at Damian, who was finishing off his bowl of cereal. "Thanks, Damian."

Damian looked up at his step mother. "How do you know I said something to them?"

Olivia smiled. "I've known you since you were four, buddy. I know you."

Damian smiled back. "I know that we're all having a hard time right now but how are you really doing?"

Jordan decided that it was time to get up and leave now to get dressed and let his mother and step brother talk in private.

Olivia picked up her water bottle and sat down opposite Damian at the table. She took a sip of water and put it back down on the polished dinner table. "Honestly?"

Damian nodded. "Yes, Mom. Honestly."

Olivia took a slow, deep breath. "I really miss him, Damian. I haven't been away from him this long and...I'm scared that he won't come back home."

"I know, Liv. I know. I'm worried about that as well but we have to continue with life and function as normal as possible."

Olivia nodded. "You better go jump in to the shower."

"Are you sure that you are going to be alright at work?"

"Yeah. It will keep my mind off things."

Damian nodded and walked in to the downstairs bathroom. Olivia began the task of cleaning up after breakfast.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"Benson. My office." Captain Dennis Wilson called her in to his office at about 12:28pm.

Her partner Patrick O'Reilly looked up at her from his paperwork. "What's going on, Olivia?"

Olivia got up from her seat and shrugged. "I don't have a clue." She whispered and walked past his desk, in to the Captain's office.

Captain Wilson closed the door behind Olivia. "Take a seat, Olivia."

"I'd rather stand." She insisted. "What's going on, Captain?"

"I got a phone call a few minutes ago."

Olivia began to panic. "Oh my God! Is Julian alright? Please tell me that he is." She begged and began to shake in worry.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter is for Veiled Obsessions, thanks so much for beta-ing; you rock! Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with the show.**

**Last time:**

Captain Wilson closed the door behind Olivia. "Take a seat, Olivia."

"I'd rather stand." She insisted. "What's going on, Captain?"

"I got a phone call a few minutes ago."

Olivia began to panic. "Oh my God! Is Julian alright? Please tell me that he is." She begged and began to shake in worry.

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

"Calm down, Olivia." Dennis put a caring hand on her shoulder, "it wasn't about Julian."

"Oh God. My kids?"

"North-East Preparatory called. Jordan's sick with a fever. You need to go collect him. He's in the sick bay."

Olivia nodded and rushed out of the office. She grabbed her purse, car keys and coat.

"Where you going, Benson?" Patrick raised an eye brow at his harried partner.

"Son is sick." Was her simple reply as she rushed out of the squad room to her car, not giving a second glance to her amused co-worker.

She pulled up at Jordan's school about fifteen minutes later and rushed in to the front desk. "I'm here to pick up my son, Jordan Thomas. I was told that he was in the sick bay." The motherly worry clearly evident in her breathless voice.

"Oh yes. Little Jordan is asleep. Come with me."

Olivia nodded and followed the African-American woman dressed in a pink business skirt and a white blouse into a room.

Jordan was curled up, asleep with a vomit bucket beside the bed, just in case he ended up being sick. His hair was plastered to his small forehead.

"You just need to sign him out and you can take him home, Mrs. Thomas."

Olivia nodded. "Thanks." She whispered back before signing out her sick son.

She grabbed his school bag and placed it on her right shoulder before delicately scooping him up off the bed.

His little caramel orbs fluttered open and he looked up at his loving mother. "Mommy?" His usually soft voice sounding sickly, and his body, usually tightly sprung, felt limp in her arms.

Olivia kissed her little boy's forehead and winced at the heat radiating off his tiny body.

"It's ok, baby. Mommy will nurse you back to health." She vowed, motherly.

He closed his eyes again. "I feel yucky, Mommy." He whispered meekly as his mother lightly sat him in the back seat, making sure he was buckled in safely.

"I know, buddy. We'll be home very soon." She shut the back passenger door before getting in to the driver's seat.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia delicately placed her youngest child in her bed. She gasped when she saw a few red spots on his neck and arms. Chicken Pox.

"Poor baby." She murmured before tip-toeing to the bedroom door to call Damian, who should be out for lunch.

He recognized the number on the screen. "What's up, Liv?" Damian answered after excusing himself from his friends.

"Jordan's sick so I picked him up. You will only need to pick up the twins on your way home from school."

"Ok then. Is Jordie alright?" He was concerned for his little half brother.

He cared deeply and was very protective of his little sisters and brother; he didn't care in the least that they had a different mother. When people asked about them his didn't say half brother or half sisters because they were full in his mind.

His biological mother was the one who left him and his father when he was the innocent age of two. He hadn't seen her or heard from her since then and he was fine with that because Olivia had brought him up since he was four. Julian and Olivia had met one morning in a line up for the check out in a grocery store and fell in love at first sight.

Olivia sighed. "I think he has the Chicken Pox. I just found a few red spots on his neck and arms.

"Poor Jordie. Do you want me to come home and take care of him so you can go back to work?"

Olivia smiled at her step son's generosity. "No thanks, you should stay at school. Thanks for the offer though, buddy. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Alright, Liv. Bye." Damian hung up and walked back to his group of friends for what was left of lunch time.

Olivia hung up and sat down on the bed beside her sleeping, unwell son.

The petite, brunette detective must have fallen asleep as she was woken by someone calling her. Her pools of dark chocolate fluttered open and when her vision cleared, she finally saw who it was. Damian.

"What time is it?" Her voice was still groggy with sleep.

"It's 3:52, Liv. Why don't you get something to eat and say hi to the twins? I can sit with Jordan for a while, even though he is still asleep."

Olivia sat up and swung her long, slender, olive toned legs over the side of the large, king sized bed. "Thanks, Damian."

"No problem." He replied as he watched his step mother walk out of the bedroom.

"Hi babies." She greeted her precious daughters, who were sitting at the dinner table with their homework and a ham and cheese sandwich to share between the two of them.

At the sight of their loving mother, they jumped out of their seats. Olivia squatted down with open arms, which the twins ran straight in to.

"How are my princesses?"

"I'm good, Mommy." Amya replied.

"Me too, Mommy." Alia spoke up.

"That's good --"

"Mommy!" Jordan cried from the bedroom.

"Jordie is sick, girls. I have to go back to him, ok?" She stood up again and both girls nodded before heading back to the table.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"Mommy's here, Jordie. Damian, could you please help Alia and Amya with their home work?" She asked as she sat in the spot on the bed, which was now vacated by her step-son.

"Sure, Liv." He walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Cuddle up to Mommy, baby and try to get some more sleep." She cooed.

Jordan cuddled up to his mother's side with his head resting on her stomach and had just drifted off to sleep again when the phone rang. Olivia picked it up quickly so it didn't disturb her ill son.

"Thomas residence."

"Is this Mrs Olivia Thomas? Wife of Major Julian Thomas?"

Olivia was now panicking. "Yes. May I ask who is calling?"

"Yes of course, Mrs Thomas. This is Colonel Jerry Langdon, Major Thomas' commanding officer."

"Is my husband alright? Please tell me that he is." She begged.

The voice on the other end sighed, sadly. Before delivering the bad news to the distraught wife. "I'm so sorry, Ma'am but he was killed in action."

"No. No, he couldn't have."

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am."

She was speechless, and she wasn't sure how long she was silent until the man on the other line cleared his throat. "Thank you for telling me." The click of the phone is noisy and loud, but her sob is more so. She looks down at her son, who looked so much like his father with a little lighter skin. She loved the tone of his skin; it was the perfect mixture of her's and Julian's.

A few tears streamed down her olive toned cheeks. "Oh my God. I'm a single mother now. A widow...I'm too damn young to be a widow." She cried, softly so she didn't wake her son. _'Why? How can I continue to care and raise our children without him?' _

Jordan's fitful sleep only makes her more hysteric, and she wonders if Damian, Alia, and Amya would forgive her if she crawled under the blankets and never came out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Only own Damian, Alia, Amya and Jordan.**

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**Last time:**

A few tears streamed down her olive toned cheeks. "Oh my God. I'm a single mother now. A widow...I'm too damn young to be a widow." She cried, softly so she didn't wake her son. _'Why? How can I continue to care and raise our children without him?'_

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Damian looked up at the kitchen clock from the dinner table. It was now 5:11pm. He hadn't seen or heard from his step mother or younger brother in an hour.

_'Maybe she just fell asleep again. Who was on the phone earlier?'_

"Girls, I'm just going to check on mom and Jordie, ok? Why don't you go play." He got up from the dinner table.

"Can we please play in our cubby house?" Alia asked as she and her younger twin got up as well.

Damian thought for a moment before nodding. "No leaving the yard though."

Both girls nodded and ran out the back door in to the very spacious backyard.

The eldest child of the brood knocked on his step mother's bedroom door.

"Come in." A sombre voice barely flowed through the white painted wooden door.

_'Has she been crying? Was she crying from the phone call that she'd answered about an hour ago?'_

Damian turned the door handle and walked in quietly to find his step mother had red, puffy eyes and was watching some on tape. He turned to the TV. It was Olivia's and Julian's wedding.

_Flashback start_

_The church was filled with the glowing, high-spirited bride's and groom's family and friends. Julian's family were on the left and Olivia's side was almost empty until half of Julian's family moved over. Julian's mother, Brielle, walked over and introduced herself to Serena. The two mothers had been close friends since._

_The camera was focused on Olivia. The blushing bride was wearing a very beautiful, very expensive, custom-made, long, white, satin, strapless dress with embroided flowers on it and her long brown hair was beautifully curled and hung down, resting just below her shoulders. A white, lacy veil covered her face and she had a bunch of pink and white flowers in her hands as she slowly walked down the aisle up to her soon-to-be husband. Olivia couldn't have been any happier then she was at that moment. She was glowing with pride; she was marrying her man._

_The mother of the bride watched proudly as her only child walked down the aisle. She was so beautiful and Serena was very happy for Olivia._

_-O-O-O-O-O-_

"_Do you Julian Lee Thomas take Olivia Marie Benson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health. Till death do you part?"_

_Julian caressed the top of Olivia's soft, left hand and grinned. "I do."_

"_Do you Olivia Marie Benson take Julian Lee Thomas to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health. Till death do you part?"_

_Olivia looked up in to Julian's caramel eyes with a pearly white teethed grin. "I do."_

"_I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride._

_Julian lifted up the veil so he could see Olivia's beautiful olive toned face and locked lips with his new wife, while everyone cheered with happiness for the newlywed couple._

_End flashback_

"Mom, what is going on?" He walked over to the bed, knowing that something bad must have happened to his father.

Olivia wiped away some of her wet, salty tears before looking up at her step son. She sighed. "Can you please grab your sisters? I have something to tell the whole family. Could you please also grab some kid painkillers for Jordan? Nothing with aspirin."

Damian nodded and left. He had never heard his step mother talk like that. So weak. Very depressed. He had never seen her so empty. Hollow.

He'd seen nearly all her emotions one time or another. He was even there when his little sisters and brother come in to the world; he'd seen Olivia yelling at Julian and crying happy tears the next when she'd heard the baby's first cry. But this was so different. Like she was a whole different woman.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Damian returned with pain medicine without aspirin and his little sisters. The tape was now turned off and Jordan was wake.

"Here you go, mom." Damian passed Olivia the kiddie pain medicine.

"Thanks, buddy. Kids, take a seat at the end of the bed." She turned to a still ill and feverish Jordan. "Take this, baby." She measured the liquid medicine in the little cup provided before giving it to her youngest child.

"Thank you, mommy." His voice was still meek and sickly. He drunk it quickly.

Olivia looked at all four children with glassy, hazy eyes from the tears that still slowly flowed down her soft olive toned cheeks.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Amya asked.

The petite detective took a slow deep breath. "There's no easy way to say this, kids..."

"He's dead, isn't he?" Damian spoke up in wrath.

His anger wasn't directed at his caring step mother.

Olivia nodded slowly to comfirm it.

Damian got off the bed but Olivia's meek voice stopped him from leaving so soon.

"Damian...Jordie, girls; I was thinking maybe we could move to New York, which was where I came from. We could start fresh...it may not be fore a few months so you have plenty of time to make up your minds because I need to ask for a transfer and find an elementary school that has the right facilities for Jordie's learning difficulties...What do you say?"

Jordan noded to comfirm his 'ok' straight away, the twins looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Ok, mommy." They replied in unison.

"Damian?" Olivia looked up at her step son and rubbed the back of her neck.

_'Please say yes. Please. I need all the support from the four of you as I can get.'_

Olivia was half expecting an outburst from him but it never came. He looked down in to his step mother's pools of deep mocha. "I'll have to get back to you on that, Liv...I'm gonna go beat some anger out on my boxing bag. He walked out of the bedroom, leaving his distraught step mother and upset younger siblings to themselves.

Alia and Amya were now just sitting there in shock. Their father was gone. They couldn't believe it.

"Come here, girls and cuddle up to me and Jordie."

She was aware that Jordan had the Chicken Pox but she wanted them to catch it before they got too much older, plus they were bound to catch it anyway since they lived in the same house and their bedroom were right next to each other.

The brown haired, deep mocha eyed girls snuggled up to their mother on the opposite side to Jordan.

"He's up in Heaven, watching over us." She murmured to her three young children as they slowly cried themselves to sleep. Once she knew that they'd entered 'dreamland'. She succumbed to her own exhaustion and let sleep take over.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

After Damian had beaten out all of his anger on the boxing bag in their backyard shed turned home gym; he walked back in to the house. He found his loving step mother and younger siblings sound asleep. He squatted down beside the bed and reached over the twins so he could gently wake Olivia.

"Huh?" Olivia was confused. Her deep mocha orbs fluttered open and she cleared her throat. "Are you ok, Damian?" She whispered, so she didn't wake Alia, Amya and Jordan.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. I'm ok, Liv. I've decided that if you want to moved back to your hometown, I'm happy to go. Dad would want us to move on."

Olivia reached up and caressed his cheek as she smiled. "I'll start making arrangements tomorrow. You wanna hop in with us. You've already had Chicken Pox so you're fine."

"What about the girls?" Damian hopped in to the bed beside Jordan.

"It's better for them if they catch it before they get much older because it's worse the older you are." She explained.

Damian nodded. "We're gonna get through this, Liv. As a family."

Olivia sadly nodded in agreement. "Yes, we will but's it's going to take a long time."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The next chapter for An Affair To Last A Lifetime is written and should be updated tomorrow for people who are waiting for an update. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Damian, Alia, Amya and Jordan.**

**-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-**

**Last time:**

Damian nodded. "We're gonna get through this, Liv. As a family."

Olivia sadly nodded in agreement. "Yes, we will but's it's going to take a long time."

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Ten weeks went by and it was time to move to New York. The family were heading over by plane and their house was ready for them since they'd been there a few times in the last few weeks setting up, so they didn't have to worry about it when they officially moved in.

Olivia was sitting in a window seat, reading a magazine when she was interrupted by two arguing, brown haired, deep mocha eyed girls.

"No, it's mine, Amya." Alia snatched the marker off her younger twin.

Alia was trying to colour in but Amya was bored since she didn't feel like colouring in so she was using this time to annoy her older twin.

Amya slapped Alia in the arm, in retaliation. Olivia put down her magazine and turned to her misbehaving daughters.

"Alia, don't snatch things out of your sister's hands. Amya, how many times do I have to tell you? No hitting. You've been a very naughty girl the last few weeks."

They knew from their mother's voice that she was being very serious but they could also tell how tired she was. She'd had trouble sleeping since they'd received the horrible news about Julian.

"Sorry, Mom." Amya apologized first followed by her older twin sister.

They then started talking normally, like nothing had just happened. Olivia turned around to check on her step son and son. Damian was sketching something that she couldn't recognize while listening to music. It was a normal thing for Damian. He loved to sketch and always listen to his rock music while he did it. Jordan was colouring in a picture that Damian had sketched for him.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Elliot was sitting with Kathy and Lizzie with Maureen, Kathleen and Dickie sitting behind them when he heard a beautiful voice that he thought he would never hear again. He looked over and saw Olivia with two little brown haired girls, who looked so much like her. He couldn't believe it. It was Olivia. His Olivia. He'd wondered what had happened to her and finally fifteen years later here she was. Elliot got up out of his chair and decided that he had to go talk to her.

"Where are you going, El?" Kathy questioned her husband.

"To see an old friend." Was his simple answer and Kathy just nodded.

"Olivia?"

Olivia looked up from her magazine and sighed when she saw Elliot looking down at her from the aisle. "Elliot?"

"Hey. Want to talk?" He was so nervous. He didn't know why. He had to hold his hands to stop them from visibly shaking.

Olivia shrugged and put her magazine down. She didn't really want to talk but she didn't want to be rude to an old boyfriend. What happened between them had happened over fifteen years ago but Olivia had left when they were still friends and she knew she should've stayed in contact, like she promised she would but she couldn't. She wanted Elliot to move on, like she had. She lifted Alia on to her lap.

"Take a seat. Amya, move over this way and make room for Elliot, honey."

"Ok, Mom." Amya did as she was told. She moved closer to her mother to make room for this strange man that she'd never seen before.

"So you have two girls, Liv."

Olivia nodded. "And a son and step-son." She pointed to the two boys that were quietly sitting behind them.

Elliot was confused. She had four children with her but no husband.

"Where's your husband?"

Olivia took a slow, deep, sad breath. "I'm a widow, Elliot. My husband died about ten weeks ago. He was in the Army."

Elliot now felt bad for asking. "Oh. I'm so sorry, Olivia. Where have you been living  
?"

"Los Angeles." She replied simply. "But I'm moving back to New York. I've been offered a job."

Elliot smiled. "Oh yeah? Where at?"

"Manhattan Special Victims Unit."

"Wow. You must be the new partner with one year of experience, that I'm getting next Monday."

Olivia shrugged emotionlessly. She wasn't very interested in this conversation and was looking for a polite way out, luckily the timid voice of her young son saved her.

"Mommy."

Olivia looked over the seat at her 'baby boy.' "Yes, Jordan? What's wrong, baby?"

Jordan was getting restless. He wanted to go play. "How much longer?"

"Not long, honey. Come sit here with Mommy." She spoke softly before looking down at Alia. "Alia, squeeze up with your sister, sweetie."

"Ok, Mommy." She jumped off her mother's lap and sat beside her younger twin.

Jordan walked around and Elliot decided to leave her to her children. He would see her next Monday at work.

"I'll leave you to it, Olivia." He got up and walked back to his family.

Olivia just nodded in response and picked up her son. She had him sitting on her lap, facing her. "What's wrong, little buddy?"

"I miss daddy." He whispered and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"I know, Jordie. So do I. Damian, Alia and Amya do as well." She replied softly as she rubbed soft, soothing circles on his little back.

Jordan had just fallen asleep when everyone was told to put on their seat belts as they were reaching their destination.

"Amya, could you please sit with Damian? Put your seat belt on too, honey."

Amya wasn't very happy with the decision but she did as she was told, with a few grumbles under her breath, of course.

Olivia gently put Jordan in Alia's seat and put the belt on him since Alia had shifted in to Amya's seat. Alia knew what her mother was trying to do so she moved without needing to be told.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Olivia, Damian, Alia, Amya and Jordan were just about to leave the airport with their baggage when they bumped in to Elliot again.

"Liv, you remember Kathy, don't ya? Well here is Maureen, Kathleen and the twins, Dickie and Lizzie."

Olivia nodded and plastered a fake smile as they all waved and said 'hello'. She didn't want to continue this conversation, she wanted to go home but she didn't want to be rude. She pointed to each child and said their name.

"This is my step-son Damian, my twins; Alia and Amya and this is one holding my hand is my 'baby boy' Jordan."

Even though Jordan was five, she always called him her baby boy because he was the youngest and her only son, biologically.

When Jordan was born, she thought she was going to lose him because he was born with the umbilical cord around his neck and wasn't breathing at first but the nurse got him breathing again and Olivia sighed in relief when the nurse brought him over to her, crying and wrapped in a baby blue blanket.

The kids all said 'hi' and both families walked out to the cabs.

"It was nice to see you again, Liv." Elliot gave her a hug and was surprised when she returned it.

"It was nice to see you again too, El. See you at work next Monday."

They pulled part and each jumped in to the mini van cabs, which their luggage was in. They went their seperate ways again, only this time, they knew that they would be seeing each other again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the delay...I've been a bit slack on the typing. Lol! I have chapters 7-9 already handwritten... Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Only own Damian, Alia, Amya and Jordan.**

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**Last time:**

"It was nice to see you again, Liv." Elliot gave her a hug and was surprised when she returned it.

"It was nice to see you again too, El. See you at work next Monday."

They pulled part and each jumped in to the mini van cabs, which their luggage was in. They went their seperate ways again, only this time, they knew that they would be seeing each other again.

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Next Monday came too quickly for Olivia. It was her first day at Manhattan Special Victims and the first day at a new school for the children.

Alia, Amya and Jordan were attending the same school this time, since the school could cater for Jordan's learning difficulties. Damian would be going to South Junior High School for the rest of the school year, which was just a block away from his siblings' school, Pinsberry Private Elementary School. So he would pick them up on his way to the subway, where the four of them would catch a train to the closest station to the precinct, which they walked from to the precinct.

Olivia was interrupted from a dream by the shrill beeping of her alarm clock. It was six am. She didn't want to get up. She groaned, tiredly and slammed her hand down on the irritating noise before swinging her soft, slender legs over the edge of the king sized bed. Olivia tiredly stumbled in to the ensuite bathroom, where she turned on the shower and made sure the temperture of the steaming hot, pulsing spray was perfect before stripping out of her black and blue pyjamas with monkies on them.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Damian got up and decided to sort out his younger siblings to make it easier on his struggling step-mother.

He'd often walk past her bedroom to go in to his room and hear her crying herself to sleep. Julian had been her rock. Her stability for twelve years and all of a sudden her rock was ripped from underneath her; now she was crumbling. Hard. Face first. She was trying to keep it together for herself and her children.

Damian walked in to Alia and Amya's painted pink and purple bedroom first.

"Wake up, girls." He spoke softly as he gently shook them awake.

Their little deep mocha eyes fluttered opened.

"Mom, left your clothes on the dresser."

Both girls nodded, still half asleep and got up so Damian walked out and closed the door behind him. Two up, one to go. He walked in to the smaller yellow painted bedroom across the hall to find his little brother hiding his head under the covers. Damian gently pulled them down and Jordan woke up instantly. "Time to get up for school, buddy."

Jordan nodded and sat up. "Ok." He whispered.

"Mom, left your school clothes on the dresser, Jordie." He walked out and closed the door behind him before walking in to the kitchen to get breakfast sorted out.

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Olivia walked out of her bedroom, dressed in light grey slacks with a matching jacket and a light blue blouse underneath. She wanted to make a good impression on her first day.

Olivia was expecting the house to be quiet and the children still sleeping but when she ended the kitchen, all four children were eating breakfast but only three were dressed. Damian usually had a shower after breakfast and the younger children always had a bath at night.

"Morning, kids." She greeted them as she got herself a glass of apple juice.

All the kids mumbled a 'good morning' and continued to eat their cereal.

"Mom, come eat something. You're losing a lot of weight from not eating." Damian spoke up in concern, seeing that his step mother wasn't planning on eating any breakfast.

Olivia took a sip of her apple juice and shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Liv..." He was very worried about her since their father passed away. She wasn't looking after herself very well but she was looking after them, making sure they had everything that they needed.

"Damian, I'm not hungry. Eat up and have a shower. You'll have to walk Jordan and the girls to school this morning. I have to be in work early since it's my first day." She grabbed her purse and keys.

"At least eat something before you leave, Liv."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm not hungry." She replied, softly before giving each child a kiss goodbye.

"Liv..." Damian tired to push the issue.

"See you tonight." She walked out the front door.

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Damian watched the front door close behind his step mother and he sighed in frustration. Olivia wasn't handling Julian's unexpectant death too well. Damian and his younger siblings weren't either but Olivia seemed so much worse. She barely ate, slept or talked. He now usually found her lying in bed, watching her and Julian's wedding video or some old happy home video. She let the kids cuddle up with her but she barely said a word. He was very worried about her. He'd never seen his step mother so depressed. So empty. The usual spark in her chocolate brown orbs was gone. He just hoped that it wasn't forever. It was like she was self destructing very slowly; he hoped it wasn't the case.

Damian came up with an idea and just hoped that it would work. He had to get Olivia to eat. That was the first item on his 'to do' list.

"Get your school bags ready while I shower."

All three children nodded and headed in to their bedrooms as Damian walked in to the downstairs bedroom.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Olivia walked in to the squad room to find Elliot already sitting at his desk.

He looked up from his paper work to see her walk in. "Morning, Liv. Captain Cragen's office is just back there." He pointed to the closed office door behind him.

Olivia smiled and walked toward it. "Thanks, El."

The brunette detective knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Come in." A male's voice flowed through the door.

Olivia opened the door and entered the small, tidy office to see an older, balding man sitting at his desk.

"May I help you, miss?"

"I'm Olivia Thomas. I transferred from L.A SVU." She introduced herself to her new captain.

Cragen got up and walked over to her. "Ah yes. You're also Serena Benson's daughter."

Olivia nodded. "How did you know?"

"I met her last week. She's got a photo of you on her desk and another with your family."

Olivia nodded and smiled.

"I'll introduce you to your new partner."

"That's ok. I already know Elliot. We dated in high school."

Cragen raised an eyebrow. "Ok, well your desk is the one across from his."

"Thanks." She replied and walked out.

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It was now lunch time but Olivia continued to work with no plan on stopping.

"Liv, you've got a visitor." Elliot informed her, pointing to the visitor behind her.

Olivia looked up and turned around to find her caring step son. "Hey, buddy."

"Hey mom. I bought you some lunch. It's BBQ Chicken pizza. Your favorite."

Olivia smiled at his generosity. "Thanks but I'm not hungry plus you better get back to school."

"Mom, I have a study period next so I wanted to spend some time with you...but I guess I'm not good enough. Enjoy your pizza." Damian was hurt. He threw the pizza on her desk and stormed out.

"Shit." She rubbed her tired face before grabbing her coat. She ran out of the squad room, down the stairs and outside the precinct. Damian was gone.

"Shit. Argh!!" She screamed in frustration.

Her cell phone began to ring and she grabbed it out, hoping that it was Damian but it wasn't.

"Benson...Ok. Thank you. I'll be there to pick up Amya in about fifteen minutes."

She sighed and called Elliot as she walked over to her car.

"_Stabler."_

"El, I'm taking my lunch break. I have to pick up Amya from school."

"_Is she alright?" _He asked concerned.

Olivia opened the driver's side door and got in. "Yeah."

"_Ok, Liv. See you soon."_

"Bye." Olivia hung up and started up the car before driving down to the elementary school.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to my wonderful beta, fluteskickbrass. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except the kids.**

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**Last time:**

"El, I'm taking my lunch break. I have to pick up Amya from school."

"_Is she alright?" _He asked concerned.

Olivia opened the driver's side door and got in. "Yeah."

"_Ok, Liv. See you soon."_

"Bye." Olivia hung up and started up the car before driving down to the elementary school.

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Olivia arrived at Pinsberry Private Elementary School about twenty minutes later.

"I'm Olivia Thomas. I was told to come and collect my daughter. Amya."

The Greek woman, dressed in black slacks and a white blouse nodded and pressed a button.

"Yes?" A deep woman's voice flowed through the speaker.

"Mrs Thomas is here."

"Ah yes. Bring her in."

"Principal Redding is ready to see you."

Olivia nodded and headed in to the office to find her younger twin daughter on a seat in front of the principal's desk.

"Hello, Mrs Thomas. Take a seat."

"Hello. What did Amya do? It's only her first day."

"She was in a fight."

_Flashback_

_Amya and Alia walked over to the playground to see two older boys bullying Jordan. They took off his glasses and were scaring him._

"_Alia, take Jordie."_

"_What you going to do, 'Mya?" Alia asked looking concerned._

"_Teach these boys a lesson, 'Lia. They can't get away with bullying Jordie," she told her older twin._

_Both twins ran over, Alia took Jordan while Amya dealt with the bullies._

_Alia picked up Jordan's glasses and took his little hand. "Come on, Jordie."_

"_You picking on my little brother?" Amya asked with her arms crossed on her chest. _

"_Yeah, so what?" one of the older of the boys gloated._

_Amya kicked him behind the knees, making him fall down on the ground backwards._

"_You gonna help me, Mike?"_

"_Nope, I ain't hitting a girl." Mike replied and took off, leaving his friend behind._

_Amya kicked him in the ribs. "Leave my little brother alone."_

_The boy got back up and hit Amya in the jaw, successfully pissing her off even more. "AARGH!" She kicked him in the stomach. _

_He was clutching his stomach in pain. "You little bitch!"_

_Amya kicked him again, this time knocking him on to the ground again. She was so glad that Damian had taught her how to fight._

"_You. Will. Never. Touch. My. Brother. Again. Understand?" She yelled with each forcible kick to the rib cage._

_She was then grabbed from behind by a teacher and she knew right then that she was in trouble but she didn't care. She was only protecting her little brother._

_End flashback_

"She is suspended for three days." Principal Redding concluded.

Amya got up from her chair. She was furious. "Suspended for protecting my little brother?! That's crap!" She ran out of the principal's office in pure anger.

Olivia was shocked. She'd never seen such blind fury in her young daughter's eyes. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and got up. "Thank you," she replied before rushing out of the office to find her daughter.

First Damian, now Amya. Who was next? Olivia was so frustrated, very stressed, exhausted and emotionally fragile. She felt as if she was very close to cracking.

Olivia finally found Amya. The young brown haired girl was sitting on a bench with her legs crossed on the bench, just looking straight ahead with tears flowing freely down her face.

Olivia sighed and sat down beside her daughter, placing Amya's school bag on the ground in front of her.

"Baby girl, what's going on with you? Fighting? The Amya I know and love isn't a fighter. She's a lover." She spoke to her daughter, ever so softly.

"I was protecting Jordan, Mom. I'm sorry." Amya was looking at her mother now, with fresh tears now streaming down her soft cheeks.

"Oh honey. Come here." She lifted Amya on to her lap and sat Amya facing her, before embracing her in a hug. "No more fighting, baby. Please. I'll let it slide this time with everything that has been happening. But next time you will be in trouble."

Mother and daughter pulled away and Amya nodded.

"Ok, you're coming back to work with me and I'll see if Grandma Benson can come pick you up."

Amya nodded and jumped off her mother's lap. Olivia got up and took her young daughter's hand.

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Olivia was sitting at her desk with Amya sitting on her lap, waiting for Serena to arrive when a gunshot was heard. "Hide under the desk, baby." Olivia placed Amya on the floor and let her crawl under the desk. She went to grab her gun out but she wasn't quite quick enough. The perp shot her in the right shoulder and Olivia dropped to the ground in pain.

Amya was crying so loud and crawled to her mother. "Mommy! Mommy.."

Olivia caressed her daughter's cheek with her left hand. "I'll be alright, 'Mya. I'll be alright." She was getting light headed from the blood loss.

Munch ran over with his coat and applied pressure to the gunshot wound as Elliot took the perp away. "Hold on, Olivia. The bus is on its way. Olivia, keep talking. Talk to Amya."

Olivia groaned in pain and looked up at her daughter again.

"Mommy, I'm sorry for being naughty."

Olivia reached up and caressed her daughter's cheek, looking in to her deep mocha orbs. "It's ok, baby girl...I love you."

More fresh tears fell from Amya's pools of dark chocolate. "I love you too, Mommy. Stay awake like Uncle John said. Please," the little brunette girl begged her mother.

Olivia closed her eyes.

"Mommy!"

Olivia's eyes sprung back open again at the sound of her daughter's desperate screams.

"I'll be alright, baby," she whispered again.

The EMTs ran in and up to Olivia. "Please move away."

Munch picked up Amya and she screamed, "Let me go! Mommy!"

Amya struggled against John, in desperate attempts to get to her mother as the EMTs lifted her up on to the gurney and buckled her on, safely. Amya finally managed to break free as they began to wheel her mother away. "Mommy!"

"You can't come with us, sweetie." EMT Jacqueline Morris said softly to the young girl.

"Please." Amya begged.

The EMTs caved and stopped the gurney. Jacqueline quickly lifted Amya up and sat her on the gurney beside her mother before they rushed in to the elevator. "You're only up there until we get in to the ambulance and then you sit on the bench, sweetie."

Amya nodded in understanding.

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Serena pulled up out the front of the precinct with Damian, Alia and Jordan in the car with her to find the precinct closed off and a couple of ambulances still sitting out the front. Serena stormed over to Captain Cragen after the search for her daughter and grand-daughter turned up nothing.

"Where the hell is my daughter and grand-daughter?"

Don sighed. No one had contacted Serena. "Olivia is in the hospital. She was shot in the shoulder. Amya is shaken up but just fine, physically."

"What hospital?"

"Mercy General."

Serena nodded. "Come on, kids." She and the kids ran back to the car before getting in and taking off again.

Serena ran in to the hospital with Damian, Alia and Jordan right behind her to find Amya sitting on Fin's lap.

"Grandma!" Amya jumped off Fin's lap and ran to her grandmother.

"Hey, sweetheart." Serena sat down in the chair next to Fin after giving her grand-daughter a hug. "Any news?"

Fin shook his head, sadly. "She lost a lot of blood and is still in surgery."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As always thanks to my wonderful beta...I have a cold so please read and review 'cos reviews will make me smile.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except the kids and doctor.**

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**Last time:**

Serena ran in to the hospital with Damian, Alia and Jordan right behind her to find Amya sitting on Fin's lap.

"Grandma!" Amya jumped off Fin's lap and ran to her grandmother.

"Hey, sweetheart." Serena sat down in the chair next to Fin after giving her grand-daughter a hug. "Any news?"

Fin shook his head, sadly. "She lost a lot of blood and is still in surgery."

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After nearly four hours of waiting in near complete silence, a tall, buff looking, dark brown haired French doctor, dressed in blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat approached the medium sized group.

"Family of Olivia Thomas?"

"We are." Serena stood up and indicated that she and the children were family.

"Come with me."

Serena and the children followed the doctor. The doctor stopped where it was quiet enough to talk and turned to face the family.

"I'm Dr. Jacques LaFaye. I was Mrs. Thomas' surgeon. She pulled through the surgery just fine. The bullet missed her lungs and any main blood vessels, which was good. She should fully recover in a few months. No work for about six to eight weeks and then she can go on desk duty for maybe a month after that."

Serena wasn't impressed. "What?! Today was her first day there and now you're saying that she can't work for up to two months?"

Dr. LaFaye sighed, "I'm sorry, ma'am but it's for her own good."

Serena nodded, knowing that the older doctor was right. She knew that she couldn't contradict him since she wasn't a doctor herself.

"Can we please see her?"

Dr. LaFaye scratched his head. "Well I only usually let one person at a time go in but since the five of you are family, I'll let you. When she wakes, let her rest though. She should be awake sometime within the next hour. Room twenty-one, just down this hall on you left," the older male doctor pointed down the hall.

Serena nodded. "Thank you...Come on, kids. Let's go see your mom."

Alia and Jordan were holding each of their grandmother's hands while Amya and Damian walked in front of them.

"Twenty-one; this is it." Damian said and slowly opened the door.

He gasped in shock. His step mother looked so pale, small, and vulnerable. Damian put his anger and hurt from lunch behind him. He just wondered what bad thing would happen to the family next. It was hard enough being the man of the house at the age of seventeen, with his step mother doing majority of the house work on top of working and looking after the twins and Jordan.

He mowed the lawn and did all the manly chores but now with Olivia in the hospital, he'd have to be completely in charge for a while. Serena couldn't help much considering she still worked full time at Columbia College, so with their mother in hospital, it was just the four of them for a few days until she gets discharged.

"Jordan, girls, you want something to --" Damian stopped when he saw Olivia's eyes flutter.

_Was she waking up? Or was she just dreaming in her drug induced sleep?_

His step mother's eyes fully opened, answering his question.

"Mommy!" Alia ran up to the bed.

"Mom!" Amya also ran up to her mother's hospital bed, followed by a quiet Jordan. All three children climbed on to the bed, careful not to hit their mother.

"Hey kids." She smiled, weakly at them before looking up at her mother and step son. "Hey."

"Hey Liv."

"Hey darling. Are you alright? I was so worried when I got to the precinct to pick up Amya. It was closed up and there were ambulances out the front of the building." Serena shuffled closer to the hospital bed, on the chair that she was sitting in.

"Yeah. I'll be alright. I'm worried about Amya though, since she witnessed the whole thing." She looked down at her younger twin daughter, "Baby, are you alright?"

The young girl wrapped her little arms around her mother with a sniffle before nodding into her chest.

Olivia wrapped her left arm around her little girl and rubbed her back. She kissed her on the head. "It's alright, baby. It's alright." She cooed before looking over at her own mother.

"Counselling," Serena mouthed to her daughter.

Olivia nodded in agreement. "Amya was going to need counselling after witnessing that incident."

"I'll make her an appointment for her," Serena whispered.

Olivia nodded as she continued to rub her daughter's back. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered back.

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Two days went by and Olivia was desperate to get out of the hospital. She hated hospitals. She just wanted to go home and look after her children.

Elliot hadn't even come to see her. They grew up together, even dated in high school. They were supposed to be friends but he couldn't even find it in his heart to come visit her in the hospital after being shot in the shoulder.

"Good morning Mrs. Thomas," Dr. LaFaye greeted the detective as he walked in to check her vitals.

Olivia slowly sat up, being careful of her injured shoulder, which was still tender. "G'morning. Can I go home today?"

Dr. LaFaye laughed lightly, "Kind of desperate aren't you?"

"Well?" Either he was going to discharge her, or she was going to dicharge herself against medical advice because she was certainly was not going to spend another night in the hospital.

Dr. LaFaye shook his head as he looked at Olivia's chart. "I would like you to stay for another two days."

Olivia was angry. "Where are the forms to sign myself out?" She took off the blanket and got off the bed.

"Mrs. Thomas..."

Olivia shook her head and grabbed the bag Serena had brought in for her. It had clothes and toiletries in it. "I'm going home. I have children to look after."

Dr. LaFaye sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to change her mind. It was made up. "Ok, I'll go grab the forms and prescribe you some strong pain killers. You'll also need to change the dressing on the wound every day."

"Ok, I get it." She walked in to the bathroom and shut the door behind her to get dressed.

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Damian, Alia and Jordan walked in to the house after school, with Amya, who they picked up from staying with their grandmother at Columbia College, to find their mother sound asleep on the couch in the living room.

"Go get changed and get a snack, guys," Damian told his younger siblings before heading into the living room, to wake his step mother.

The kids ran in to their room as Damian gently shook Olivia awake.

She woke startled. "Huh? She moved too quickly, causing a sharp pain to run through her injured shoulder. She winced in pain.

"Settle down, Liv. It's just me."

Olivia cleared her throat, "Hey buddy. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. You wanna say hi to the kids...Hang on, why are you home early?" He had only just realised that she should be still in hospital.

Olivia sat up and swung her legs over the side of the couch. "I discharged myself," she answered simply before heading in to the kitchen to find the kids grabbing a snack.

"Hey kids." She squatted down with her left arm out. Her right arm still in a sling.

"Mommy!" Alia dropped everything and ran over to her mother.

"Mom!" Amya held onto her snack and ran over, followed by her little brother.

"Mommy!"

"How are you?" Olivia smiled.

They all muttered 'ok' or 'good' as they gave her a big hug, being careful of her right shoulder.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

"I'll get it!" Damian called from the living room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Only own the kids. Please read and review.**

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**Last time:**

A knock at the door interrupted them.

"I'll get it!" Damian called from the living room.

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Damian opened the door to find Elliot, standing there, nervously. His step mother's so called friend.

"Hi...ah...Damian. Is your step mother in?"

Damian folded his arms on his chest, in anger. "Yeah but she's busy taking care of my brother and sisters. People who actually care about her," he seethed in anger before slamming the door in his face.

Olivia walked down the hall toward the door. "Who was that?"

"That so called friend of yours," was his response.

Olivia took a slow, deep breath before nodding. "What do you want for dinner?" She answered. Her way of ignoring the subject. She didn't want to talk about Elliot right now. She needed to get on with life and her children were the most important people in her life. More important then herself.

Damian put his hand on his step mother's left arm and looked in to her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "Mom, you should be resting. I'll cook dinner for everyone. What would you like?"

Olivia smiled. "You sure?"

Damian nodded and returned the smile. "Yes really."

"Why don't we just get some take out? I'm sure you cooked the last two nights," she compromised with her step son.

"It's not a problem. But take out sounds good. Girls! Jordie!"

The younger kids ran in.

"Yes?" Alia asked, since she was the oldest out of the three.

"We're getting take out for dinner. What do you want?" Olivia asked her children.

The kids were about to reply when Damian's cell phone began to chim loudly in his pocket, playing his favourite song, 'With You' by Chris Brown.

"Hang on a minute," he replied, grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Damian..." Olivia sighed as she watched Damian just walk out of the room.

It was like he was a different person all of a sudden.

"What would you kids like for a dinner?" Olivia asked, tiredly.

The three children huddled up and began to dicuss options between them.

A moment passed before they turned back to their mother and Alia looked up. "Could we please have pizza?" The eldest twin asked innocently.

"Sure, honey. We'll catch a taxi down there," Olivia said before looking up again to see Damian walk back in.

"Liv, I'm going out. Bye," Damian said as he grabbed his wallet and walked out of the house before his step mother could even answer him.

Olivia sighed and leaned her head against the wall, that she was up against.

This was supposed to be a family night but Damian was taking off to be with whoever had just called him on his cell phone. He'd only ever done that once in L.A when his girlfriend was stuck in an unsafe part of town.

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The next morning the family were sitting at the breakfast time, eating their breakfast and chatting about what they were thinking of doing for the day.

Olivia felt like there was a slow growing distance between her and her step son. She swallowed the bit of toast in her mouth and looked at Damian. "Damian?"

Damian put his glass of orange juice down and looked up at his step mother. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to spend the day with me...just the two of us?" She asked, cautiously.

Damian thought for a moment before nodding. "Sure."

Olivia smiled. Hopefully it could begin to repair the hole in their relationship, which had slowly gotten bigger since Julian died. "Go have a shower and I'll call Kathleen to come pick Jordie and the girls up."

Olivia, who was already dressed in black jeans and a red long sleeved top, got up from the table, just as Damian did.

"Ok, mom," he said and walked in to the downstairs bathroom.

"Kids, go get dressed," she told the younger kids as she started to clean up after breakfast.

The kids trotted off in to their bedroom to get dressed in respectable clothing.

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Once everyone was dressed and Kathleen had turned up, Olivia and Damian headed out for their day out to fix their mother- step son relationship.

Olivia and Damian walked out in to the cold morning to see Elliot walking up the path heading toward the front door.

The brunette sighed softly and rubbed her knotted up neck. "Jump in the car, honey. I need to talk to Elliot," she told him as Elliot stopped at the front gate after seeing them.

Damian shook his head. "No way. I don't trust him with you," the teen insisted, looking out for his mother.

Olivia patted her step son on the shoulder, softly. "Honey, it's alright. He won't hurt me," she explained.

Damian scoffed. "How can you possibly know that, Mom?"

Olivia licked her lips. "It comes from knowing him a very long time, honey."

"You didn't see him for a very long time. How do you know he hasn't changed?" He spoke in fustration to his step mother.

Olivia bit her bottom lip, knowing where the boy was coming from with his argument. "I know, honey. I know. Please just get in the car. I need to talk to him, ok?"

Damian exhaled deeply. "Sure. But I am watching through the window and if he hurts you, he will pay for it."

Olivia ruffled his short brown hair with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too, mom," he replied softly and headed toward the car, parked in the driveway.

Olivia turned to Elliot and slowly approached her partner and former lover. "What are you doing here, Elliot?"

"I came to see how you were," he replied, shoving his hands in to his thick coat pocket, nervously.

"Well, I'm fine. Thanks for stopping by," she replied with her hands on her hips. "Now, I have to go."

"Olivia please," he tried again. _Please don't hate me. I just got you back. Please. Please. Please._

Olivia shook her head. "I'll see you at work when I return. I have to go now," she replied and walked toward the car before Elliot could get another word in.

The brunette got in to the car and looked at her step son, who was looking at her.

"What did he say?" Damian asked.

Olivia started the car and started to back the car out of the driveway. "He just asked how I was. Let's go, huh? Any opinions on where to go?" She asked as she started to drive down the street.

"How about a movie?" He suggested.

"Movie it is."


End file.
